San Quentin Art

I read a very interesting article in the Los Angeles Times on a San Quentin State Prison convict turned artist in the 1950's. In 1953 Alberto Santos was incarcerated in San Quentin, during this time an opportunity for inmates to submit mural sketches to cover the cafeteria's wall was administered. Santos submitted his sketches, won the contest, and was commissioned to paint the mural.

The area where the mural was to be painted was originally only one side of the cafeteria but soon after the warden saw his work, he ordered Santos to paint all three side of the room. The 12 by 100 foot mural Santos created is a chronological time line of California history. Depictions of the State's history in a Diego Rivera and Expressionism style includes images of the golden state bridge, Groucho Marx, WWII bombers, and Fransiscan missonaries.

The mural which was done with a sienna raw oil paint in the color red was completed in a two year span and still remains today. Recently Santos was recognized as the artist after years of the murals anomynity. After Santos was recognized as the painter of the mural his paintings which once sold for 50 cents at a garage sell are going for more than 2000 dollars. Sadly this documented history of San Quentin prison and American cultures have endured defacing from younger inmates who have entered the prison and don't feel a connection to the murals, although for decades the mural was highly protected.